Oil-feeding mechanism.



R'IcHA-RDSON,` OF MILWAUKEE, wisooNs1N,` AssIGNon on on rg HALF To WILLIS s. SHERMAN, or SAME@ PLACE.

omai-asoma MECHANISM.

s'rncmcairon forming part of utters Patent ivjq. 661,323,1datea November 6.19ct?. Application tlea A11-'gna zo, 1900. "serial 27.446. ramal-,1.) I if .'lov all whom it may concern,.- A -s'Be it known that I, WILBR E. RICHARD- SBN, of Milwaukee,-in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented a 5 new and useful improvement; in Oil-Feeding Mechanism, of which the following is a description, reference being `had to the accom-. panying drawings, which are a part of this specification. l o Myinvention has relation to improvements in oil-feeding mechanism, more especially adapted, although not necessarily, for supplying lubricating-.oil to the cylinder or cylinderSpfsteam-engines. In this class of de' 5 vices it isi-,important that a force-feed shouldv be provided for forcing the oil to thecylin- ='ders, and inasmuch as at certain times it is necessary to change the quantity ofthe feed" i is of course desirable that the engineer o `should always be :able to see and be positive j as to the amount of oil which is being fed, and :thereby enable him to change thequantity of lfeed at the proper time. '4 f v'1It` is therefore the primary object of .my in-` 5 vention to provide oil-feeding mechanism for the cylinders of steam-engines which 'shall l combine in one structure a combination forcejj-feed and sight-feed, the sight-feed enablingY lthe operator to determine the actual amount ,o of oil which is being'fed.

With the above primary object in view the inventionV consists of the devices and parts or their equivalents, as. hereinafter set forth.

` In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis ;5 a front'elevation of the invention'. Fig. 2 is a: section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an elevation of one end of Fig. l, and Fig. 4- is a detail sectional View. J i

gReferring' to thel drawings, the numeral-5 lo indicates afront plate-of required thickness, and 6 6 rearwardly-extending flanges from the plata 'the Said* flanges-being bolted lor .otherwise-sccuredfto the frame ofthe engine;`

y Agrossthe upper portion-'of the-plateexteuds i 5 a passage 7 andcommnnioating with this pas' sage is an oilhspply pipe 8, saidpipeextend:

ing frein-any suitable source of oil-supplyIV Projecting out horizontally from thefront of thelpla'te and communicating at their inner ;o ends with the passage 7 are short pipes 9, (threebeingshown in the accompanying drawings,) said vpipes provided near their outer ends with discharge-nozzles 10, whiclrnozzlesVA are controlled by means of needle-valve`s ll. The plate is'provided with a series of 'pasl 55 sagefways 12,l preferably in the form 'of oil cups or receivers. One of these cups or receiversis provided for each nozzle 10and each cup is klocated .below a nozzle, solas to f receive the drippings from the nozzle. From Y 6o the fact thatthe nozzles are located above the upper receiving ends of the oil 'cups or receivers it is evident that the quantity of oil dripping from the nozzles is plainly -visible to the eye. The plate' is also provided with a 65 seriesof pump-cylinders 13, corresponding in number to the number oE oil cups or receiv ersl and located, respectively, just back of and in communication with the oil-cups In order to provide communication between each 7o oil-cup and the pump-cylinder relating thereto, .I prei-'orto provide the bottom of each oilcup' with an opening 14, which is iny communication with a port or passage 15, the inner end of said'port or passage communicating-7 5 Vwith the pump-cylinder near the-lower end.v `tof said cylinder.

In order to provide for gaini l ing ready access to the port or passage lfor 'the purposelof cleaning the same, I prefer to provide a screw-cap 16 for the outer 'en djoj` thereof.- `Communication -betweenthe oil' .cup and cylinder Vmay of course b e provided 'for in any'other desirable"mannermas, for..-

instace, a single passage` may connect" the lower endfof each oil-cop directly withse'ach 85.

cylinder. Withineach'cylinder isarranged, y a plunger or piston 17'. Suitable means mustv 'be provided for reciprocatingthc several plungers simultaneously, and v for this. .purpose' I prefer to provide a rock-shaft 18, sup-I 9e I ported ina circular bearing 19in the plate 5.

'lhis shaft -has arranged thereon a seriesfef teeth 20.of'suffcient length. to. engage teeth 21 "on the vrear lside ofjj each plunger. lhe

f teethY 20, asV shown-,1are arranged `segni ein tally 95 5 onl theshaft. Means of course are necessary.

for'imparting-to the shatql a rocking me-. tion,.and for this-purposel prefer to employ.

' the construction*shown-inthe accom pauying.

drawings. AS shownjn the drawings, the ends 1 noo ol the shaft 18 extend bcyondtbe ends proper-A of the plate, and for thesee'xtended cndsof the shaftst11bular`bosses22 22 project out;y -wardly from the endsof the plate. To one of the extended ends of the shaft- 18 is con-v nected an arm 23, and to this arni in turn is .connected one end of a link 24, the opposite end of said link being connected to the'rod (not shown) which actuates the counter or to'any other suitable moving-part of the engine orto any suitable portion of any other mechanism. The arm 23 is preferably provided with an elongated slot 25, and the connection between the link24 and the arm is made by a pin 26, extending through the link and through the elongated slot of the arm. Byf the provision of this form of connection the link may be properly connected to the arm, so as to obtain the required` throw of said arm at the time the parts arelirst assembled together.

Thelower end of each pump-cylinder communicates with a valve-chamber 27, and in.

each valve-chamber is fitted a valve, which preferably consists of ad'isk portion 28',.hav,

ing Awings 29 extending from the. upper surface thereof and a stem 30 dependingfrom the ,lower surface, thereof and extending into a guide-recess 31.,` Each stem is surrounded by a coiled spring 32, 'which exerts an upward pressure against the under side of .the disk and-normally holds said disk against a valve-seat 33, formed in each valve-chamber. Each valve chamber has. extending therefrom a port'or passage 34; A pipe 35 ,is connected tech port 34, and one of these pipes leads to the high-pressure "cylinder of the engine, another of saidpipes to the lowpressure cylinder, and the remaining pipe to the intermediate'ipressure cylinder.

It is generally ustomary when an engine is first started to feed at-about the rate of twenty drops of oilper minute to the cylin ders and then -after'the engine is fairly started to reduce the feed rto about seven drops per minute.l Inthe operation of my inventidn, therefore, the needle-valves 11 are j first adjusted, conveniently by means of .a

wrench, seas to feed the proper amount of oil, which, as just stated, should .be about I twenty dropsA atfthev start.V The drippings of course are clearly visible by reason of the locationjof the nozzles. The oil first drops onto a perforated plate 36;` which plate serves to hold back any foreign matter. The Aoil then passes throughl the perforations of the 4plates into the bottoms of the oil-cups 12 and through the openings 14:v to the ports ,15. When the engine is started, a rocking motion of course is i mparted to the rock-shaft through the mechanisnrhereinbefore described. This rocking motion, of the shaft causes the plungers :to reciprocate' continuously simultaneously, and onvv their upward movement the ports 15 are opened and the oil in the oilcups, or so muchtherecf as isrequired to fill .the cylinders below the plungers, is` free to ow from the'cups or will be sucked by the upstroke of the plunger's into the cylinders,

and by the succeeding downward movement of the plungers the ports 15 are closed and the oil in the cylinders below the plungers is forced into the valve-cham bers 27 and through them and l'the pipes leading therefrom into the'- engine-cylinder. On the down movements-of the plungers the ports 15 are gradually closed, and the oil beneath the plungers isforced against the valves 28 and against .the steam-pressure in the engine-cylinders,-

the force overcoming the upward pressure of the springs 32and causing said valves to- The oil nowl move awayl from their seats. passes'into the ports 34 andis forced -upwardly in the pipes 35 to the 'respective cyl# inders. On the retnrnupstrokes-of the plungers the valves 2S are closed byl the recoil of the springs 32, the suction v.of the plungers, and the steam-pressu re i-n the cylinders, and

the ports 15 are gradually .opened by the plungers 17 and after this the operation described is continued as long as the engine continues to run. Now by the arrangement described the engineer is enabled at'all times,I

to see the amount of oil drippingfrom the nozzles, and'henc'e if the needle-valves were adjusted in thedirs't instance to feed a certain quantity-'-say twenty drops-'the said engineer can at the proper time change `the adjustment of ysaid needle-valves so as to feed a diminished quantity of oil-say seven drops. In fact, any desired feed can be obtained at any time by simply changing-the adjustment bf the valves referred to, and the pumps will at all times'feed whatever quantity the nozzles supply provided the supply is not greater than the capacity of the pumps.

lW'hile I have shown the several parts in triplicate', so as to feed the oil lto three cylin ders, yet I do not wish to be understood as.

restricting myself specifically thereto, inasmuch as the device may beadapted for feeding'oil only to one cylinderor to two cylinders or to more than three cylinders without departing from the spirit and scope of `1n y in# vention. It is also not .absolutely-necessary that the discharge-nozzles should be located above the cups or reservoirs 12in order to make the quantity of oil which is being fed visible to the eye,inasmuch as the oil cups or reservoirs may be of transparent material and the nozzles extended directly therein.`

The springs 32 not only serve to assist in returning the valves to closed positions, but also they act against any vacuum which might be inthe space below the valves".

What I claim as my invention iso 1'. In oil-feeding mechanism, the'combina tion of achamber, a visible feeding mechan' ism adaptedv to feed oil into the chamber, forcing mechanism adapted to act on the oil in the chamber," a conduit'leading from the chamber, and through which conduit the oil is forced, said conduit leading tothe'mechanism to be lubricated, and a valvefor preventing backflow of the oil.

2. In oil-feeding mechanism, the combina-l tion with a. visible feeding mechanismfor the 661,323 BEST V iL oil, a receiver adapted to receive the oil from Y the feeding mechanism, a chamber in communication with said receiver, forcing mechanism adapted to act on the oil ih the chamber, a conduit leading from the chamber, and through which conduit the oil is forced, said conduit leading to the mechanism to be lubricated, and a valvefor preventing backilow of the oil.

3. In oil-feeding mechanism, the combination of a visible valve-controlled oil-feeding pipe, means for feeding oil to said pipe, a receiver to'receive the oil from the oil-pipe, a chamber in communication with said receiver, forcing mechanism adapt-ed to act on the oil in the chamber, and a conduit leading from the chamber, and through which conduit the oil is forced, said conduitextending tothe mechanism to be lubricated,- and a valve for preventing backiiow of the oil.,

4. In oil-feeding mechanism, the combination, of a visible oil-feeding pipe, means for feeding oil to said pipe, a receiver toreceive` the oil from the pipe, a plunger working in a suitable cylinder, said cylinder being in communication with the receiver, means for recfprocating the plunger, whereby the amount o oil 'which is visible is forced to the mechanism to be lubricated, acond uit leading from` the cylinder of the pump mechanism to the mechanism to be lubricated, anda valve in the conduit, said valveadapted to move away from its seat upon one stroke of the plunger, in order to permit the oil to be forced through the conduit into the mechanism to be lubricated; and to move toward and against its scat on the reverse stroke of the plunger.

5. In oil-feeding mechanism, the combination of a plate havingl a series of pump-cylinders therein, valve-chambers in communication with the pump-cylinders, m'eans for feeding oil to the pump-cylinders, plungers Yin the pum p-cylinders, each plunger provided with a series of teeth, a rock-shaft having a series of teeth engaging the teeth of the plungers, said teeth on the rock-shaft being segmentally arranged and continuous along the shaft so as to engage the teeth` of the different colei-fr 3 plungers, the untoothed portions of the shaft presenting a smooth bearing-surface, means for rocking the rocking shaft, valves within the Valve-chambers, said valves adapted to move away from their seats upon one recip= rocation of the plungers, and to move toward and against their seats upon the opposite re# ciprocation of the plungers. and conduits leading from the valve-chambers to the mech n anism to be lubricated.

6. In oil-feeding mechanism, the combination of a plate formed with a passageinto which oil is fed from any suitable source of supply,- said plate also formed with an oil-receiver independent of said passage and with a pumpcylinder in communication with said receiver, and said plate further provided with a valvechamber in communication with the cylinder,

a plunger adapted to reciprocate in the pumpcylinder, a visible oil-dripping pipe extending from lthe feed-passage of 'the 'plate and adapted to drip the oil into the receiver, whereby the amount of oil which is visible is `forced to the mechanism to he lubricated, a valve in the valve jchamber, and adapted upon one reciprocation of the plunger to move away from its seat, and upon the opposite reciprocation of said plunger to move toward and against said seat, and a conduit leading from the valve-chamber to the mechanism to be lubricated.

7. In oil-feeding mechanism, the combination of visible feeding mechanism for the oil, an open-top receiver to receive the oil from the feeding mechanism, a chamber in com munication with said receiver, forcing mechanism adapted to act onthe oil in the chamber, a conduit leading from the chamber, and through which conduit the oil is forced, said conduit leading ,to the mechanism to be lubricated, and a valve for preventing backliow of the oil.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of twowitncsses.

WILBER E. RICHARDSON.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM C. LILLEY, LUcINDA krA. RICHARDSON. 

